Photographic printing frame



Jan. 21, 1941. NEUWIRTH 2,229,118

PHOTOGRAPHI C PRINTING FRAME Filed June 22, 1959 /0 INVENTOR B W /Z I ffiemgg/Wswwirilz ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to photographic printing frames and particularly to the means for holding the negative and the sensitized sheet in place in the frame against displacement during the printing operation.

My invention contemplates the provision of means operated on the movement of the frame back into its operative position for automatically locking the back in place in its holder.

My invention further contemplates the provision of easily releasable cam-operated locking means to lock the back in place automatically as the back is moved into its operative position, and also to insure automatically the application of the proper pressure by the back upon the negative and paper inserted into the frame.

My invention further contemplates the provision of an automatically operating lock for the back, which look may be readily released manually when the back or cover is to be raised for the purpose of inspecting or replacing the printed paper and negative.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a comparatively simple frame designed for economical production and easy and quick operation, and wherein substantially all of the parts are secured together against misplacement or loss.

The various objects of the invention .will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the complete frame.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of the frame, showing approximately half of the locking means.

3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section and partial elevation of the same, showing the back in an unlocked position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the frame.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section similar to Fig. 2 of the frame of Fig. 4.

In the practical embodiment of the invention which I have shown by way of example, all of the frame parts, with the exception of the transparent plate I2 are secured together against separation, misplacement and loss. preferably, though not necessarily, made of metal in one piece, having the usual opening II in the front face thereof for the passage of light through the transparent plate I 2. Said plate rests on the continuous flange I3 surrounding the opening II of the holder, from which flangeis bent, cast or otherwise integrally formed, the spaced parallel side walls I4 or flanges and the opposed parallel The holder I is' end walls I and I6. Preferably, at one end of each of the side walls, a projecting leg as IT is provided, said leg being shown as flared or curved outwardly. At the other end of each of the side walls a similar leg or flange as I3 is provided, of substantially the same size and shape as the leg Il but slotted as by means of the horizontal slot I Sfor the purpose later to be described. Said legs serve to support the frame during the printing operation, during which the frame is turned upside down from the position shown in Fig. 1, to permit light to pass through the plate I2 whereby the frame may be adequately supported in a horizontal position and adjacent the light by which the printing is done by a suitable supporting surface, as a table.

Hingedlysecured to the end wall I5 is the pressure-applying spring cover plate or back 20. Said back is made of suitable spring sheet material, such as metal, and is given an initial bend or set so that the back always tends to assume a position concave upwardly and does assume such position when free to do so. The back is provided with a number of transversely spaced cylindrical extensions as H integral with one end thereof and passing through slots of corresponding Width in'the end wall I5 whereby the back may be swung upwardly or downwardly about said end wall as a pivot. The slots are spaced sufliciently close to the upper edge of the wall I5 to provide hinge bars for the extensions 2I between said upper edge and the upper edges of the slots. Preferably, the back 20 is of slightly less length and width than the distances between the side walls and end walls of the holder, respectively, so as to readily fit into the holder. It will be seen that when the back is flattened from its concave form and depressed toward the plate l2, pressure is applied to the negative sheet 22 and the sensitized paper sheet 23, arranged on the plate I2 in the usual manner so as to hold the negative and paper against relative displacement or displacement in the frame. It will also be seen that, if desired, the under face 24 of the back may be lined with suitable padding or cushioning material such as felt or the like (not shown) in a manner which is now readily understood and hence need not be illustrated.

At the left end, as viewed in Fig. 1, of the back 20, is provided the automatic locking means hereinbefore mentioned, which requires nomanipulation but whichfunctions to lock the back in place automatically to cause the back to exert the required pressure when the back is depressed manually into its operative pressure-applying position. As shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, said means comprises a pair of transversely spaced slides or latching members which are substantially identical in construction so that a description of one will suffice for both. As shown, each slide member is made of a single piece of comparatively wide and thin sheet metal and comprises the fiat intermediate portion 25, the upstanding inner end flange 21 constituting a finger grip member for releasing the latch, and the camming latch element 28 at the other end. The body portion 28 is longitudinally slotted by the substantially rectangular slot 29 extending through the greater part thereof, and is adapted to rest on the back and to slide easily thereon in a transverse direction. The combined fingerpressure and guide member 30 in the form of an inverted U, extends across the portion 26, and at its ends is provided with the lugs or projections 3i passing through the slot 29 and through the back 28 and suitably headed as at 32 to secure the lugs to the back. The projections or lugs 35 are of substantially the same width as that of the slot to guide the slide member accurately in its transverse movement, and to prevent movement in any other direction. The upper surfaces of said members 3!) are each of substantial area and serve as finger plates to which pressure is applied by two fingers of one hand of the operator when the back 20 is depressed into its operative position. The slide members terminate at their inner ends in suitable pins 33, said pins being spaced apart transversely and being urged outwardly by means of the spring 34 interposed between the inner end flanges 21 and supported by said pins 33. The outer latching element 28 of the slide member is bent into an inclined position relatively to the back and to the side wall or flange it, being joined to the intermediate portion 25 of the slide member by means of the integral bend 35 and the upright flange part 36. To strengthen the free end of the back, the spaced parallel beads 38 and 39 may be formed in the back to project upwardly therefrom, the bead 38 being made at the end edge of the back. Said beads function also to guide the slide members and to resist undue bending of the back.

Owing to the spring material from which the back 26 is made and also: to the fact that said back is so preformed that when released it assumes a shape concave upwardly, the back when released exposes a substantial portion of the plate ii, that is, at least half of the area of said plate. It will therefore be understood that the negative 22 and the sensitized paper 23 may easily be inserted by the operator underneath the back to rest on the plate l2 in the exact position desired, the back being further raised to the desired extent, if necessary, during the placing of the negative and paper in place.

It will also be understood that with one hand the operator may hold the negative and sheet in the required position while the back 20 is manipulated with the other hand. That is, the operator, by pressing downwardly on the members 30 with two fingers of his hand, may depress the back until it almost touches the other hand which holds the negative and paper, and he need not release the negative and paper until the greater part of the back has been bent into flat form of sufficient area to temporarily hold the negative and paper from moving. At the last moment before the locking members come into operation, the paper may be released and the latching end of the back pressed into its final position. As the "direction of the length of the slot 29. form of the invention, pressure may be applied back moves toward said position, the extreme ends 31 of the latching elements 28 engages the inner cam surfaces of the flared legs I8, which operate to move the slide members inwardly against the action of the spring 34 until the extreme ends 31 of the slides reach the slots l9, whereupon the slides are freed of the cam surfaces and the spring 34 becomes operative to move the slides outwardly to insert said end portions 31 into said slots,

Owing to the pressure exerted by the spring 34 on the inclined latching element 28, said locking members move outwardly and downwardly to press the back tightly on to the negative and the sensitized sheet to hold them firmly in position with the required pressure regardless of varying thickness of different negatives and paper sheets which may be used.

It will further be seen that the locking action is entirely automatic since the flared flange l8 operates as a cam upon the slide members to move them inwardly during the depression of the back into its pressure-applying or operative position, until the slots l9 are reached in the locking position of the slide members.

Should it be desired to inspect the negative and paper before the printing operation has been completed, the slide members are readily released by merely pressing the finger-grip flanges 27 thereof together with one hand against the action of the spring 34, thereby withdrawing the ends 31 from the slots and permitting the spring back 20 to bend toward its initial upwardly concave position to the desired extent, and to expose the negative and paper for access to the other hand.

It will further be seen that, except for the plate l2, there are no separable parts in the frame which might be misplaced or lost and that the frame is simple in construction and automatic in its locking operation and, consequently, largely prevents the dangers of shifting of the negative and paper within the frame during the locking operation.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the side walls 40 are not flared but remain upright and are provided with the slots 4! for the reception of the extreme outer ends 43 of the slide members. Said slide members are similar to the slide members hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3, but at their outer ends are provided with the infolded downwardly inclined part 42 joined by the curved bend 43 to the latching element 28. The cam action moving the slide members inwardly as hereinbefore described takes place when the inclined part 42 engages the edge 44 of the wall 49. The structure being described further differs from the form of Figs. 1 to 3 in that a separate finger pressure member 45 is secured to the back 20 and a second guide member 46 passes through the slot 29 and also secured to the back, said members cooperating to prevent any movement of the slide members except the desired movement in the In this during the locking operation to the upper surfaces of either of the members 45 or 46, or both.

It will be seen that I have provided an improved printing frame automatic in its locking operation,

the negative and paper is automatically adjusted and is always sufficient to hold the parts securely in place and that I have provided a structure well designed to meet the requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described certain specz'fic embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a photographic printing frame, a holder having a pair'of spaced upstanding slotted side flange members, a spring back plate hinged at one end thereof to the holder and arranged for movement into and out of the space between said flange members, a pair of parallel spaced outwardly convex beads at the other end of the plate, and means for automatically locking the other end of the plate to the holder when said other end is depressed into the holder and between said flange members, said means including a pair of locking slide members carried by the plate between said beads and arranged to slide in opposite directions and adapted to engage the flange members and to enter the slots of said flange members and a spring interposed between the slide members and urging the slide members outwardly, one pair of said members having inclined cam surfaces to move the slide members inwardly automatically against the action of the spring when the slide members engage the flange members during the depression of the plate.

2. In a photographic printing frame, a onepiece holder having a slotted flange member, a one-piece pressure-applying spring plate hinged to the holder, one of said plate and said holder having openings therein and the other thereof having projections thereon entering and movable in the openings, said projections and openings constituting the sole hinge connection between said holder and said plate, a latch member carried by the plate, and a spring urging the latch member outwardly, one of said members having a cam surface at a terminal part thereof engaging the other member and moving said latch member inwardly of the plate automatically when the plate is swung into the holder, the outer end of said latch member being automatically moved outwardly by the spring and into the slot of the flange member when the plate is in its pressureapplying position.

3. In a photographic printing frame, a pressureapplying spring back plate member, a slotted frame member, one of said members having spaced openings therein at an end thereof and the other of said members having correspondingly spaced projections thereon! each entering one of the openings and constituting a hinge connecting one end of the plate member to the corresponding end of the frame member, and latching means at the other end of the plate member to releasably lock said end automatically to the frame member, said means including a slide member terminating in an inclined surface adapted to enter the slot of the frame member, means on one of said slide and frame members and arranged to engage the other of said members for automatically camming said slide member inwardly on the movement of the plate member toward its operative pressureapplying position and a spring urging the slide member outwardly.

4. In a photographic printing frame, a holder having a pair of spaced slotted slide flanges and having a slotted end wall, a spring plate normally concave upwardly and having spaced cylindrical end extensions each passing through a slot of the end wall to hinge the plate to the holder, and means at the other end of the plate for locking said other end to the holder when the plate is flattened, said means comprising a pair of spaced locking slides, and a spring interposed between the slides and urging said slides apart and into the slots of the side flanges, the upper parts of said side flanges, above the slots thereof, being inclined outwardly to engage the ends of said slides and to urge said slides inwardly against the action of the spring when the flattening of the plate is begun.

5. In a photographic printing frame, a pressureapplying plate hinged at one end to the frame, and latching means for the other end of the frame, said latching means comprising a pair of similar spaced slides of a single strip of comparatively wide and thin sheet metal of substantially uniform width, and having a cut-out therein, each of said slides having an upstanding flange at its inner end arranged at right angles to the remainder of the slide and constituting a finger piece and an inclined extremity at its outer end, a comparatively wide and thin U-shaped sheet metal member having a pair of parallel spaced portions passing through the cut-out of the slide and through the plate and arranged with its wide face uppermost for guiding the slide in its movement, said guiding means also constititung a finger pressure member to which downward pressure may be applied to said end of the plate by the fingers of the user, a spring interposed between the inner flanges of the slides and urging said slides outwardly, and an upstanding side flange on the frame adjacent each of the outer ends of the slides, each of the side flanges having a slot therein for the reception of said outer end of the slide and having an outwardly bent cam portion above the slot adapted to engage the slide and automatically to move said slide inwardly when the plate is moved into its operative pressure-applying position.

6. In a photographic printing frame, a back for the frame adapted to be moved into a pressureapplying position, and means for automatically and releasably locking the back in said position and for insuring the pressure-applying action of the back, said means comprising a pair of slides movable transversely of and carried by the back and each provided with a slot, an inclined portion of the outer end of the slide, a combined guide and pressure-receiving member passing through the slot of each slide and having an uppermost surface of substantial area, a spring interposed between the slides and urging said slides apart, a slotted side flange on the frame adjacent the outer end of each of the slides and an inclined camming portion on the flange above the slot thereof for engaging said outer end of each slide and moving said slide inwardly when the cover is lowered into the frame, said spring moving the slides outwardly and into the slots of the flanges when the back is in its pressure-applying position.

HERMAN NEU'WIRTI-I. 

